Happy Endings

I suppose the name of the place says it all, but I have it
from a knowledgeable (all right, it was Bill Steele)
authority (yes, it was Bill)
that this is the best thing to happen to folk music in
Central New York since someone offered to take out the Garbage.

Watkins & the Rapiers
A six-member neo-folk-rock band whose acoustic, rhythmic style
incorporates echoes of Cajun, country, jug band music, reggae,
soul, and swing. "The Rapiers play with wit, humor, and
a (nearly) total lack of pretense," (Colorblind James).
The inspired moments vary widely from polkas about hearing too
many polkas, to folk-rock anthems about convenience stores and
television characters, to renditions of local television jingles.

25-Jun-1999Friday
8:30 / $5

The Nines
Prepare to romanced by CNY's finest female jazz ensemble.
This is a tight-knit band that enjoys the mellow and lively
music from early jazz greats ... a performance packed with
style and grace to spark even the darkest night.

19-Jun-1999Saturday
8:30/10:30 / $10

Ashley Cox w/ JimmyJohn McCabe
This special double-bill features two exciting examples of
the bright future of music: Syracuse's folk/alternative siren
Ashley Cox and Jimmyjohn McCabe of Binghamton.
With her big heart and big talent, Ashley Cox is one of the most
compelling examples of alternative folk/acoustic music!
Her songs have evocative, moving lyrics, made all the more so by
her skillful performances.
Ashley's good friend Jimmyjohn McCabe is perhaps better known
in his role as front-man for the alternative-rock band YOLK.
Jimmyjohn is touring solo to celebrate the release of his
first solo CD, Baby to Baby.
Plan ahead -- this is sure to be a big night!

18-Jun-1999Friday
8:30 / $TBA

TBA

12-Jun-1999Saturday
8:00 / $8

Off The Cuff Comedy

11-Jun-1999Friday
8:30 / %5/$7

Jose Alvarez & Azucena Barrientos
This unique and talented duet offer a repertoire based in boleros,
(the touchstone of romantic music all over Latin America),
sones mexicanos (the afro-Mexican legacy),
son cubano (the afro-Cuban fusion), and songs from Puerto Rico,
Argentina, Peru, with original compositions which retain the
traditional styles. Jose's diversity as a guitarist and songwriter
and Azucena's voice create an original and eclectic sound of
black and mestizo cadence full of deep soul and tradition.

05-Jun-1999Saturday
8:00 / $TBA

Young Blood with Joel Ackerson & Friends

04-Jun-1999Friday
9:00 / $10

Brooks Williams
with special guest: William Nicholson
"Brooks Williams is one hell of an act who can fill a venue
instantly with his presence and fill the imagination with his
songs and stories ... he possesses a melodic virtuosity on the guitar
that runs like liquid from his fingers and blows the socks off
any other player you could name" (The Irish News).
Brooks says, "I want to take my guitar to that place where the lines
between the categories blur - acknowledging the powerful voices
of the last hundred years, but moving ahead to a frontier
as yet to be determined."

29-May-1999Saturday
8:30 / $5

Lise Winne & Jason Kessler
A sweet, clear voice, master 12-string guitarist, and a nimble violin
join together to present Elizabethan and Renaissance folk songs,
as well as innovative originals.

28-May-1999Friday
8:30 / $5

Bergman Broome w/ Barbara Paradowski
A former Syracusean now working out his new home base of
Seattle, is subverting the grunge scene with the introduction
of Ukulele music not heard of since the 1920's.
The youth are shocked and titillated by his tuneful prowess
and verbal acrobatics. Caution: Bergman Broome is not for the
metaphorically timid... Broome's sense of irony and disappointment
found in the process of growing older is balanced by a playful sense
of humor in songs such as "Ponce de Leon's Mid-Life Crisis"

23-May-1999Sunday
7:00 / $sliding scale

Gypsy Red (CD Release Celebration)
A five-piece band from Syracuse with over 50 original songs to
their credit, GYPSY RED's music chronicles the endless journey of
the spirit, ever seeking its way home. Guitarist John Sardella
strums the rhythm on his melodic 12-string acoustic guitar, while
Traci Eves holds down the bottom on bass, Jim Hugunin keeps the
heartbeat on percussion, Joe Davoli, Jr. serenades all with his
haunting violin melodies, and soaring above all is lead vocalist
Cherie Lavaway. These talents blend to create a new age folk
sound that is hot and haunting, combining ageless wisdom with a
spicy new sound.

16-May-1999Sunday
7:00 / $8/$10

Barbara Kessler with special guest: Laurie Geltman
On Kessler: "This musician could ride on the sweet, soaring
clarity of her voice alone. But she offers so much more. Her
vocal and instrumental musicianship is a showcase for superlative
songwriting." On Geltman: "Geltman deploys elements of rock,
folk, country and punk with panache on [her latest album] No
Power Steering, tying them all together with well-honed hooks and
a voice that's tender and corrosive by turns."

08-May-1999Saturday
8:00 / $8.00

Off the Cuff Comedy

07-May-1999Friday
8:30 / $8/$10

The Kennedys
Syracuse favorites, the Kennedys' personal brand of folk-rock
shimmers with an alternative sensibility driven by roots-rock
rhythms, seductive melodies, and scintillating guitar wizardry.
The New Yorker called them "the best-kept secret in folk rock."
But it's no secret to us that, as Wired magazine says, the
Kennedys write "classic stuff, the type of music you ache to hear
again and again on your radio." And their music is even better
in person!

02-May-1999Sunday
7:00 / $8

David Massengill w/ TBA
Master story-teller, songwriter, and mountain
dulcimer-player Massengill celebrates a new CD of songs
destined to be folk classics!

01-May-1999Saturday
8:00 / TBA

Open Mike to benefit Pride Committee of Syracuse

A "May Day Open Mic'" Fundraiser for the Syracuse
1999 GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) Pride Festival.
Hosted by Monika Gries (pianist) and Eugene Koveos (singer /
songwriter / guitarist). Other performers will include Nick Orth
(singer / songwriter / guitarist) and Karen Hall (poet),
and one or two surprises!

30-Apr-1999Friday
8:30 / $6

Gideon Freudmann
Freudmann redefines the conventional boundaries of the cello
by adding influences including folk, blues, bluegrass, and
jazz to create a "cellobop" sound all his own. You simply
won't believe it if you don't come see it!

25-Apr-1999Sunday
7:00 / $8

Kelly Joe Phelps w/ Beth Amsel
Phelps doesn't just give you the fire, raw energy & passion
of the country blues; he re-invents the dobro into achingly
beautiful & sinister coils of sound. Amsel's powerful voice
and compelling songs will remind you of the power of folk music!

24-Apr-1999Saturday
8:30 / $8/$5

Annie Wenz
and Shrinking Violets
Expect (1) to participate on any number of exotic percussion
instruments in the course of a spiritual and geographical
travelogue-in-song with Annie Wenz, and (2) lots of
foot-tapping and contagious melodies from the rich silk
voice & viola of Julia and the skilled guitar & prehensile
throat of Darryl who are the duo of Syracuse ex-patriots,
Shrinking Violets.

23-Apr-1999Friday
8:00/10:00 / $5

The Nines
A six-person, tight-knit band brought together with a
passion for traditional jazz and swing and a desire to
re-energize the sounds of the past.

17-Apr-1999Saturday
8:30 / $8

David Massengill w/ Jason Kessler
DAVID MASSENGILL's performance at Happy Endings that was
to have occurred at 8:30 on April 17th has been re-scheduled
for Sunday, May 2 at 7:00 PM. All tickets sold for the
April 17th show will be honored on May 2nd at 7:00.

16-Apr-1999Friday
8:30 / $7/$5

Hugh Blumenfeld
The "words & music full of passion and poetry" of
Connecticut's State Troubadour mix haunting ballads,
political satire, and amazing songs composed on-the-spot!

15-Apr-1999Thursday
7:30 / $4

Joel Ackerson Band w/ Confusion Flats
The cure for the tax form blues.

09-Apr-1999Friday
8:30 / $8/$6

David Hamburger and Jack Williams
Two of the best guitarists you'll ever hear join forces for
one amazing show of real-world lyrics, down-home humor, and
an acoustic guitar-dobro duel!

03-Apr-1999Saturday
2:00 / $3

Joel Ackerson Band
We asked Joel and his band if they could come over to our house to play.

02-Apr-1999Friday
8:30 / $8

Kim Simmonds
A "Solitaire" acoustic blues show from the man synonymous
with "Legendary British Blues Guitar" and founder of Savoy
Brown!

Stacey Earle w/ Larry Hoyt
Spare, sparkling country-folk songs that bridge the
sweetness of Lone Star State of Mind-era Nanci Griffith with
the grounding grit of Gillian Welch. Hoyt's voice a la
Johnny Cash delivers honest-to-goodness folksongs that are
both of those things. (Honest & Good!)

27-Feb-1999Saturday
?:00 / $?

TBA

26-Feb-1999Friday
8:30 / $5

Lui Collins

21-Feb-1999Sunday
7:00 / $8

Bob Franke

20-Feb-1999Saturday
8:30 / $5

Wyldefire

19-Feb-1999Friday
8:30 / $5

Ratsy

13-Feb-1999Saturday
8:00 / $8

Off the Cuff Comedy

12-Feb-1999Friday
8:30 / $5

Ashley Cox

06-Feb-1999Saturday
?:00 / $?

Joel Ackerson Band and Guests

05-Feb-1999Friday
8:30 / $7

Jennifer Kimball

30-Jan-1999Saturday
8:300 / $5

Michael Jerling w/ John Frantz

29-Jan-1999Friday
8:30 / $5

Annie Gallup

23-Jan-1999Friday
8:30 / $5

Dana Robinson
"Dana Robinson's got ... great chops! He's one of the few
contemporary singer-songwriters whose songs display a strong
respect for the centuries-old folk tradition."
--Phil Shapiro (host of "Bound For Glory,"
WVBR's live concert broadcast in Ithaca, NY)

22-Jan-1999Friday
8:30 / $5/$10

Jolie Christine Rickman w/ Free Radicals

17-Jan-1999Sunday
7:00 / $10

Salamander CrossingSalamander Crossing
looks like a bluegrass band, but here is
the truth: with fiddle, banjo, guitar, bass, stunning
vocals, and skillful songwriting, this band brings "back
porch" music into the twenty-first century. Combine the zip
of bluegrass, the soul of Appalachia, and the honest clarity
of contemporary folk, and you've got the idea. It's roots
music with an edge.

16-Jan-1999Saturday
9:00 / $6/$8

Greg Greenway
w/ Becky Keefe
It is the conviction you will notice first, born in the
soul, nurtured in the South, persistent throughout. On
stage, you can hear the whispers of his musical journey and
diverse influences: the passion of Richie Havens, the
lyrical guitar of James Taylor, the rhythmic politics of
Peter Gabriel, The Police, and a wealth of Third World
artists. The result is an unmistakably unique and dynamic
talent.

15-Jan-1999Friday
?:00 / $?

TBA

09-Jan-1999Saturday
8:00 / $8

Off the Cuff Comedy

08-Jan-1999Friday
8:30 / $5

Lisa Bigwood and the Woodland Band

02-Jan-1999Saturday
?:00 / $?

Joel Ackerson Band with Confusion Flats

1998 Fall Schedule

Date

Description

26-Dec-1998Saturday
8:00 / $4

Joel Ackerson Band and guest TBA

20-Dec-1998Sunday
7:00 / $8

Vance Gilbert with Shrinking Violets
Raised in Philadelphia and a resident of Boston,
Vance
is one of a very few black artists to embrace the singer/songwriter
genre. While his voice may continually garner soulful comparisons
and his guitar draws flattering allusions to George Benson, Vance
cites Shawn Colvin as his inspiration (they have toured
extensively together). It is this meeting of worlds that gives
Vance his uncompromising edge.

12-Dec-1998Saturday
10:00 / $8

Off the Cuff Comedy

6-Dec-1998Sunday
5:30 and 8:00 / $10

The Burns Sisters w/ Annie Gallup

28-Nov-1998Saturday
7:00 and 10:00 / $9

Karen Savoca w/ Peter Mulvey

27-Nov-1998Friday
8:00 / $4

Joel Ackerson Band and guest TBA

22-Nov-1998Thursday
7:00 / $8

Cliff Eberhardt w/ Thom Rayne

21-Nov-1998Saturday
8:30 / $5

John Rossbach

20-Nov-1998Friday
8:30pm / $8/$10

Rod Macdonald
Happy Endings proudly welcomes Syracuse favorite Rod
Macdonald to the Happy Endings stage for the first time!
Rod has performed a number of times in Syracuse and has
garnered quite the local following. One of the best in the
business, Rod is renowned for his love of performing.
Opening the show will be the powerful songs and voice of
Lisa Bigwood.

14-Nov-1998Saturday
8:00 / $8

Off the Cuff Comedy

13-Nov-1998Friday
8:30 / $5

Ashley Cox w/ Lauren McMahon

08-Nov-1998Sunday
7:00 / $10

Paul Geremiah w/ Dennis Golterman
Paul puts on an amazing show whenever he's played here,
which just goes to show that Acoustic Guitar is more than
correct to call him, "One of the best country blues
finger-pickers ever." Believing this doesn't take a leap of
faith...one listen and you'll know it!

07-Nov-1998Saturday
8:030 / $4

Joel Ackerson Band and Confusion Flats

06-Nov-1998Friday
8:30 / $12

Bill Morrissey w/
Deb Pasternak
Bill Morrissey has been described as a "swamp Yankee," a
peculiar brand of New England bluesman sprung from the
backwaters of New England and New Hampshire in particular.
While he has made his name through the circuit of
coffeehouses that dot the New England region, his music
stands alone in the fold world for its detail, clarity, and
literary insight.
Deb Pasternak's music is not traditional folk music, even
though she tours on the folk and acoustic circuit. There's
no neo-Wobbly polemics here, no Sweet Betsies from Pike or
songs about settlers or brave laddies. This is contemporary
music, full of broad influences but uniquely her own, traces
of jazz, pop, blues, and a lot of stuff you can't put your
finger on but love anyway.

25-Oct-1998Sunday
7:00 / $12

Eric Andersen with James Keelaghan
THE Eric Andersen. A night of incredible songwriters!

18-Oct-1998Sunday
7:00 / $5

Margo Hennebach
w/ Magdeline Hsu-Li
Crisscrossing the country with guitarist/husband Saunders,
pianist and guitarist Hennebach has captured the attention
of critics and fans alike with her wide-ranging vocals,
award-winning songwriting and commanding presence.

11-Oct-1998Sunday
7:00 / $12

Martin Sexton
Talented Syracuse native

10-Oct-1998Saturday
8:30 / $12

Martin Sexton
Talented Syracuse native

9-Oct-1998Friday
8:30 / $12

Martin Sexton
Talented Syracuse native

4-Oct-1998Sunday
7:00 / $5

Peter Keane
Keane's songs are insinuatingly memorable -- at once
classic-sounding, yet thoroughly personal. His approach is
not too different from his musical mentors, men such as
Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Dave Van Ronk and Paul Geremia -- all
artists who approach the country blues idiom with a vast
knowledge of the tradition, yet with such strong personal
insights that any accusations of austere reverence are
plainly off the mark.
In 1994, Keane moved from Cambridge, Massachusetts to
Austin, Texas. The change of environment was dramatic but
successful, and even in a musical climate which features
nearly as many players as fans, Keane quickly established
himself as an important addition to the roots-oriented
scene.

2-Oct-1998Friday
8:30 / $6 to 8

Steve Tilston
Steve has been praised for a "rich, relaxing, and addictive" voice
and "an impeccable musicianship and complete command of the guitar."
His albums have received critical raves in Britain and abroad.
In addition to his solo work, he has traveled as a musician with
the Ballet Rampbert Company and as a member of John Renbourn's
celebrated 1980's group Ship Of Fools (along with former touring
and recording partner Maggie Boyle).
Also among his accomplishments is his single-handed resurrection
of the arpeggione, a classical bowed guitar.
Steve's use of this instrument on past albums added yet another
dimension to the unique quality of his music.
Recognized as a skilled, innovative guitarist as well as a powerful
and sensitive songwriter, Steve has a gift for creating songs that
sound like well-worn traditional tunes.
And just as traditional music does, Steve's songs are finding
their way into other musicians' repertoires. Two of Steve's pieces,
Slip Jigs and Reels and The Naked Highwayman are
featured on the latest Fairport Convention album,
Jewel In The Crown.
And the music to Let Your Banjo Ring was featured in
Sing Out! magazine.

25-Sep-1998Friday
8:30 / $6

Chuck Brodsky
master songwriter

24-Sep-1998Thursday
8:30 / $6

Carrie Newcomer
heartland folk musician-poet

19-Sep-1998Saturday
8:30 / $6

Irene Farrera
Happy Endings proudly presents Venezuelan singer-songwriter
IRENE FARRERA for a night of passionate, percussive Latin music.
Farrera sings music from South America in a rich contralto and
plays guitar with a unique flamenco-funk style.
Original songs from Spanish and English touch on themes of love,
nature, and topical social issues.
Farrera's sound is drawn from the rousing joropos
and gaita rhythms of her native Venezuela.
Her voice has been compared to fine chocolate,
full of spice and flavor, and inspiring passionate declarations.

18-Sep-1998Friday
8:30 / $5

Louise Taylor
As a songwriter confident in her artistry, Louise Taylor moves you
in a deep way -- with intensity and sweetness.
Her music is inherently sincere, drawing on her multifaceted life
experience for sustenance and inspiration.
She juxtaposes simultaneous truths -- power and vulnerability,
hope and fear, danger and security, pain and comfort.
When Louise Taylor reaches within herself to express a song, the
world seemingly comes to a halt.
A passionate singer with a rich, sensuous and warm voice,
she is also a fiery foot-stomper who learned how to exert
musical prowess as an unamplified street musician, riding her
song on a strong beat and a tight groove.

17-Sep-1998Thursday
8:30 / $7

The Kennedys
Syracuse favorites, THE KENNEDYS' personal brand of
folk-rock shimmers with an alternative sensibility driven by
roots-rock rhythms, seductive melodies, and scintillating
guitar wizardry. THE NEW YORKER called them "the best-kept
secret in folk rock." But it's no secret to us that, as
WIRED magazine says, the Kennedys write "classic stuff, the
type of music you ache to hear again and again on your
radio." And the music is even better in person!

14-Sep-1998Monday
8:30 / $5

Chris Chandler
"We're going to hear a lot more from this 'Watergate
Generation' guy -- I wish I could hear him paying it on the
subway," says Pete Seeger. Tom Paxton says, "Chris Chandler
reminds me of my own self way back when -- listen to him
now!"
With a unique blend of spoken word and raw folk music, Chris
Chandler has put together an act that has broadened, become
more versatile, and is wowing audiences more than ever
before. This year at the Kerrville Folk Festival he
received a standing ovation in the middle of a piece and the
crowd stayed up for the remainder of the show.

13-Sep-1998Sunday
7:00 / $5

Four Shillings Short
"Think of Dead Can Dance minus the new-agey spaceyness, plus the
energy of _Riverdance_, and you might get close to imagining the unique
sound of this acoustic band," says Joe Cleveland of Happy Endings.
With musicality, good fun, and an unusual repertoire, Four
Shillings Short will create an entertaining and unforgettable
experience for the Happy Endings audience.

12-Sep-1998Saturday
8:00 / $7

Off-the-cuff Comedy
improvisational group comedy

11-Sep-1998Friday
8:30 / $5

Terri Allard
folk-country artistry

1998 Summer Schedule

Date

Description

31-Jul-1998Friday
8:30pm / $5

Armor & Sturtevant
Acoustic Celtic & Folk music

1998 Spring Schedule

Date

Description

17-May-1998Sunday
7:00pm / $5

Barbara Kessler
An incredible night of songs and songwriters whose
crafts(wo)manship will amaze you.
BARBARA KESSLER is one of the bright
lights in contemporary folk's national night sky.
Her songs tell vivid stories of the pathos and
passion in everyday life.
JOLIE CHRISTINE RICKMAN is a local songwriter whose
first CD release, Smattering, is an impressive debut.

Syracuse Community Radio, Lou Reed Night
Local performers pay tribute to SU and Velvet Underground alum,
Lou Reed. A benefit for Syracuse Community Radio's continuing
efforts to bring grassroots radio to Syracuse airwaves.

27-Feb-1998
8:30pm, $5

Andy Kimbel
Andy Kimbel is an acoustic blues guitar finger-picker and
string-bender! The Philadelphia Inquirer calls him,
"Definitely the finest singer-songwriter playing the blues."
Part of Kimbel's talent is how he charms his reverent audiences
with warmth and good humor. He combines this with a unique selection
of material that ranges from gentle ballads and pointed originals
to hard-driving blues and slide guitar using various tunings and
harmonics. Energetic and passionate, his own distinct interpretations
set him apart and give even old traditional blues a new face.

21-Feb-1998
8:30pm, $7

David Massengill
"David Massengill is a master songwriter, story-teller, and mountain
dulcimer player. Never dogmatic or facile, he's one of the most
entertaining, humorous, thoughtful, and thought-provoking performers
I know," (Joe Cleveland).
Dirty Linen says "Massengill ranks with Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan,
and Paul Simon." Frank Rabey (Mountain Xpress) writes:
"The fact is, Massengill is one of the finest wordsmiths working
in music." His cast of characters includes illegal immigrants,
prostitutes, moonshiners, failed revolutionaries, and regular joes.
"A decade in Greenwich Village has honed this Tennessee wordsmith's
brilliant natural songwriting into exquisite art. One marvels at the
lyrical power" wrote Jeff McLaughlin of the Boston Globe.
Special Guest: Larry Hoyt

Ceili Rain
Ceili (Kay-lee) Rain, the passion-child of Syracuse's own Bob
Halligan, is a six-headed joy-monster of surround-sound, rock-til-ya-drown
Celtic hoe-down. "The musicianship of the members of this band is more
than just impressive, and to say that they play with a certain joie de
vivre is the height of understatement," (Joe Cleveland).

14-Feb-1998
7:30pm, $7

Off-the-Cuff
Improvisational comedy theater

13-Feb-1998
8:30pm, $8/$10

John and Mary
The members of 10,000 Maniacs take a break from the band to perform a
special acoustic show!Special Guest: Oz & Biz

08-Feb-1998
7:00pm, $8

Susan Werner
The comment you may hear most frequently about Susan Werner is that
she has it all. With a powerful and expressive voice, remarkable ability
with both guitar and piano, a songwriting language all her own and a sure
command of the stage, she is widely regarded as one of the most riveting
performers on the acoustic circuit. "Her voice will blow you away, her
songs are smart and clever, and her on-stage charisma is amazing--she's
sort of like a female Martin Sexton," (Joe Cleveland).

07-Feb-1998
8:30pm, $5

Daniel Cartier

06-Feb-1998
8:30pm, $5

Hugh Blumenfeld
"Another of my favorite performers, Hugh Blumenfeld does what I never
thought possible: He writes intelligent, powerful songs with a suburban
landscape! His melodies often have a grandeur that sweeps you right up
with them, and makes you feel part of some larger community. Hugh's lyrics
detail the world around us, finding in the everyday both the ludicrous and
the deeply meaningful. It's been far too long since his last visit to
Happy Endings!" (Joe Cleveland) Sing Out! says of Hugh's latest CD,
"Mozart's Money is a masterpiece." The Music Matters Review calls it an
"exciting collection of literate, intelligent songs, sung with
straight-forward abandon. There is plenty of humor--a thoughtful kind that
sends you chuckling towards sanity." "Mozart's Money is just plain fun to
listen to. Hugh tempers the heart of a romantic with a biting political
sensibility." (Andrew Calhoun, Waterbug Records)

01-Feb-1998
7:00pm, $8/$10

Danny Kalb
DANNY KALB is one of the greats of acoustic folk and blues music.
He's the founder of the seminal New York City urban electric blues band,
The Blues Project. His credits are a proverbial "who's who" in folk and
acoustic music. From Dave Van Ronk, Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan,
Phil Ochs, Judy Collins, Sam Charters, to BB King, Muddy Waters, Howlin'
Wolf, Michael Bloomfield and to jazz masters like Sun Ra. His new release,
Livin' With The Blues, is the first new album in more than 20 years from a
musician deserving of "the ultimate compliment," according to Blues Review
editor Andrew Robble's liner notes, which is "to be called--a blues man...
Danny Kalb is the embodiment of a blues man." More than three decades
since the lightening-fast guitarist first caught the public's ear as a
guitar virtuoso of the Greenwich Village folk music revival, Danny Kalb
remains a bluesman of prodigious skills and soul, and a man well-worth
listening to anew.Special Guest: Colin Aberdeen

31-Jan-1998
8:30pm, $3

Danny Holmes
Danny Holmes is one of the most talented and best-known
singer-songwriters ever to come from Central New York. A Danny Holmes show
has the energy of a rock band, the intimacy of a solo performer, and a
unique, improvised zaniness that makes each show different and exciting.
He performs a diverse mix of his own material which encompasses funk, rock,
cool jazz, and melodic ballads.

Brooks Williams
"Brooks Williams is one of the most exciting performers who has
recently added Happy Endings to their tour schedules. He writes great
songs, has an amazing stage presence, and what he does with an acoustic
guitar will leave you awe-struck!" says Joe Cleveland. Rob Weir, The
Valley Advocate writes that Brooks' new CD, Seven Sisters is "the best
thing Brooks Williams has ever done, and perhaps the singer/songwriter
album of the year. ... Williams blends his poetic imagery with mind-numbing
guitar dexterity. Simply a stunning release. (5 stars)" The Berkshire
Eagle: "Brooks Williams is that rare bird on the contemporary folk scene:
like Bill Morrissey and Greg Brown, he is an utter original." San Antonio
Light: "Williams is a fret monster who has to be seen to be believed!"
Acoustic Guitar: "Intelligent, soulful songwriting and dazzling guitar
work."

23-Jan-1998
8:30, $6/$8

Greg Greenway
"His career is ready to explode." So says Philadelphia's
long-respected DJ, Gene Shay of Boston's Greg Greenway. Greenway has been
described as "one of the strongest, and finest voices in folk music." The
Boston Globe wrote, "He made his mark on the national scene with the
foot-stomping passion of his shows, but also with a winning and credible
between-song intimacy." "Whether he's singing about the death throes of a
relationship, or the malicious way we throw our sons into battle, Greg
Greenway sings with a passion that's hard to ignore." (Ed McKeon, New
Britain Herald).Special Guest: Ashley Cox

1997 Fall Schedule

Date

Description

23-Dec-1997
8pm, $10/$12

Martin Sexton
What can a Syracuse fan of the new folk and acoustic music say
about Martin Sexton? He is simply an incredible presence on
stage, absolutely captivating. And he grew up here--we're
bursting with pride! His voice is bigger than the full moon on a
clear winter night, and his guitar is as powerful as a Syracuse
snow! Yes, there's ONE SHOW ONLY, so get your tickets now!Opener: Mindy Jostyn

21-Dec-1997
7pm, $5

Vince Bell
Acoustic contemporary folk singer/songwriter
Vince Bell pens "rock-folk-country hybrids that are brimming with
the man himself, a lot like Leonard Cohen's in their hopeless
romance, Randy Newmanish in their eye for detail." This Texas
songwriter had just cut a demo of his songs with Stevie Ray
Vaughan and Eric Johnson when a drunk driver broadsided Bell's
car and sent him into a coma. It took him six years rehab and a
lot of guts, but he recovered, the premature death notice in the
Austin American Statesman notwithstanding. His delayed debut CD,
Phoenix, is a record of that struggle. Bell will remind you of
his mentor, the late Townes Van Zandt, with his songs that are
both spare and powerful.Opener: Gary Reynolds

18-Dec-1997
8pm, $5

Bernice Lewis
Acoustic contemporary folk singer/songwriter

14-Dec-1997
5pm and 7:30pm, $10

Burns Sisters Christmas Show
Bluegrass, country, new folk, original and traditional Xmas tunes

Acoustic Christmas Party
Gary Frenay, Shrinking Violets, & John Davey,
with special guest Ilene Weiss and others TBA
Traditional and original Christmas songs in a folk-band setting

23-Nov-1997
7pm, $6/$8

Ellis Paul
Happy Endings presents the long-awaited return of Ellis Paul to
Syracuse!
Performing Songwriter Magazine calls him "a master storyteller,
who delivers songs with a passion that undeniably sets him apart
in the company of a new breed of songwriters."
Ellis is spell-bindingly good, and his merest whisper can fill
the largest room.
If you haven't seen or heard him before, you will be amazed. If
you have seen him before, you've already called for tickets!Opener: Dana Cooke

22-Nov-1997
8:30pm, $5

John Rossbach
"John Rossbach is one of the treasures of Syracuse. His engaging
personality, good humor, and down-home, tear-it-up,
stop-you-in-your-tracks pickin' on the guitar, mandolin, and
banjo make his shows a country back-porch good ol' time," says
Joe Cleveland of Happy Endings.
From the ethereal mournfulness of an Appalachian mountain ballad
to the bounce of boogie-woogie, John Rossbach's powerful and
compelling voice evokes the many moods and magic of traditional
American folk music.
As an award-winning multi- instrumentalist, he lifts his
audiences with the lilt of an old-time mandolin melody, rivets
them with a low-down delta blues, and impassions them with a
fiery banjo breakdown!
His notorious puns, outrageous tall tales and humorous anecdotes
keep everyone lighthearted even when he's just sung the saddest
country ballad imaginable!

20-Nov-1997
8pm, $5

Mectapus

16-Nov-1997
7pm, $5/$7

Cosy Sheridan
Since The Boston Globe dubbed her, "...one of the best new singer
songwriters in the United States," Cosy Sheridan has blossomed
into one of the most captivating performers on the acoustic
music circuit.
People react to Cosy Sheridan and her music much as they do
when rediscovering a favorite possession they hadn't even
realized was missing.
Filled with delight, curiosity, and a sense of return,
Sheridan is a musical reminder.
Her music consistently envelops, prods, and surprises, reconnecting
listeners with images and places which have slipped away.
Rich in metaphor, Cosy's dreamy vocals and infectious melodies
are impossible to shake.
Her astounding sense of lyricism, coupled with intricate and
masterful guitar work, has carved out an indelible niche for
Sheridan in the Who's Who of contemporary folk music.Opener: Kris Delmhorst
Kris Delmhorst has a relaxed, unpretentious manner on stage, and
the joy she takes in performing is clear and infectious.
Through her consistently busy playing schedule and the steady
sales of her self-released cassette Swim For It, she
continues to win over fans throughout the Northeast.

15-Nov-1997
8:30pm, $5

Gideon Freudmann
Gideon Freudmann returns to fill Happy Endings with "cello bop"!
Gideon is one of the truly unique voices in eletro-acoustic music.
He combines quirky-catchy songwriting in the spirit of Mose Allison
and Dan Hicks with instrumental pieces that run the gamut from
laid-back, cool & bluesy, to wildly energetic virtuousic masterpieces.Opener: Ken Bonfield
Ken Bonfield's music spans folk, jazz, new age.
An impressively talented guitarist, his fingers move magically
from string to string conjuring images saturated with feelings.
You'll join with Chuck Brodsky in asking, "Just how many fingers
does this guy got?!"

From the North:
Take Interstate Rt.81 South to Exit 19 (Clinton Street).
Continue for six traffic lights.
Happy Endings is on the left, four store fronts from the corner.

From the South:
Take Interstate Rt.81 North, and then continue on Interstate 690 West.
Exit at West Street (Exit 11).
At the light, turn left onto Fayette Street.
Continue for 3 traffic lights to Clinton Street,
then turn right onto the one-way street.
Happy Endings is on the left, four store fronts from the corner.

From the East:
Take the NYS Thruway (Interstate Rt.90) to Interstate 481.
Take 481 South to Interstate 690.
Take 690 West to Exit 11 (West Street).
At the light, turn left onto Fayette Street.
Continue for 3 traffic lights to Clinton Street,
then turn right onto the one-way street.
Happy Endings is on the left, four store fronts from the corner.

From the West:
Take the NYS Thruway (Interstate Rt.90) East,
and then continue on Interstate 690 East.
Exit at West Street (Exit 11).
At the light, turn left onto Fayette Street.
Continue for 3 traffic lights to Clinton Street,
then turn right onto the one-way street.
Happy Endings is on the left, four store fronts from the corner.

Alternate route from East or West:
Take the NYS Thruway (Interstate 90) to Interstate 81.
Go South to Exit 19 (Clinton Street).
Proceed as if coming from the north.